Conveyer chain



J. SPROUL CONVEYER CHAIN Fil-ed Dec. 28. 1922 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented May 6, 1924.

UNITED stares enzyme Parent 1 orrice.

JOSEPH SPROUL, OF JERSEY CITY HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T KAST INSET- TING AND GATHERING MACHINE (30., OF

DELAWARE.

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF CONVEYEB CHAIN.

Application filed December 28, 1922. Serial No. 609,474.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH SPnoUL, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Jersey City Heights New Jer- 6 sey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Conveyer Chains, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

The present invention is an improvement in the mechanism for conveying groups of signatures to a stitching device or other instrumentality, and particularly is an improvement in the pusher member thatengages the rear edges of the signatures of the successive groups; v

These pusher members are carried by the endless conveyer that progresses: the groups of signatures from the point where they aredeposited on the conveyer to the support on which they are stitched or otherwise operated upon. At the point Where the groups of signatures pass onto the support on which they are stitched, the endless conveyer passes around a sprocket wheel and its direction of travel passes from the horizontal to the vertical. This is the point at which jamming usually takes place; that is to say, it frequently happens that for one reason or another a group of signatures will be stopped at this point while the conveyer carrying the pusher members will continue to move. In the construction heretofore employed, the pusher pins have frequently been broken off under these conditions, the links of the conveyer have been wrenched out of alinement, and even the sprocket Wheel over which the conveyer chain passes at this point-has been injured. Jams of this kind accordingly have been productive not only in loss of time while the difliculty is being attended to, but also in injury to the device.

The object of the present invention is to provide a pusher member which will firmly engage the rear edges of the signatures of a group and operate in the normal functioning of the parts with all of the eifectiveness of a rigid pusher member and yet which will, in the event of a jam, yield and pass under the jammed signature group. thus protecting the device from injury and minimizing the seriousness of such an occasion and the time which is necessary to remove the jammed signature group and permit the machine to function normally,

Theinvention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one expression of the inventive idea, and wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a conveyer equipped with improved pusher members and also the parts of the apparatus where jams usually occur;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a conveyer equipped with the improved pushermemher; and I Fig. 3 is a cross-section.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts, 5 indicates a support such as is customarily used on stitcher feeders and on which the groups of signatures are placed and from which they are removed to an endless conveyer o by a pusher member 7. This endless conveyer is usually constituted by a plurality of links which are connected together in any suitable manner and which pass around a sprocket wheel 8 mounted at 9 in a standard 10. The conveyer 6 is mounted on any suitable support lland the signaturesare progressed by said conveyer from the dotted line position A on the support 5 to the dotted line position B on the main saddle or support 12. In Fig. 1 the conveyer is shown passing around the sprocket wheel 8 and at the point where it changes from its horizontal to its vertical traverse. It is at this point that the jams occur for the most part and where the damage occurs by reason of the unyielding pusher, as heretofore employed, continuing to move and press against the group of I signatures that has been stopped for one reason or'another.

The pusher member constituting the present invention is normally unyielding and yet, in the event of a jam, it yields in the line of travel of said conveyer and passes under the jammed group, thus protecting the parts from injury and minimizing the damage to the group of signatures and the time necessary to clear away the obstacle. As illustrated, this pusher consists of a closely wound veyer in the same cross-sectional plane. Preferably, these pushers pass into openings or orifices 14 in the faces of the conveyer 6 and are secured in place in these openings by the engagement of the spiral convolutions operating as threads. In other words, the pusher is simply screwed into the opening. If the metal of the conveyer is thin, it is only necessary to drill a hole through the same for the reception of the pushers, through it has been found desirable to alsotap a thread or two in the walls of said conveyer to cooperate with the convolutions of the pusher. These pushers are readily manufactured on a lathe by spirally winding a strip of wire around a rod or former and then cutting oft desired lengths of the tightly wound wire.

There is thus provided a simple and highly eificient pusher member which is readily screwed in or out of its seat and which functions perfectly under all normal conditions and yields in the event of a jam to protect the device. The simplicity of the pusher renders it possible to manufacture the same very cheaply and quickly, and also to place them in position or remove them from their seats expeditiously and simply.

While, for the purpose of illustration, one expression of the inventive idea has been specification.

illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, and that the inventive idea may be embodied in various mechanical expressions within the limits of the appended claims.

hat is claimed is 1. In a device of the character described, a movable conveyer for progressing groups of signatures, a pusher member mounted on said conveyer and engaging the rear edges of the signatures, said member being composed of a spirally wound wire.

2. In a device of the character described, a movable conveyer for .progressing groups of signatures, a pusher member mounted on said conveyer and engaging the rear edges of the signatures, said member being composed of a spirally wound wire and a stiffening plug in the outer end thereof.

3. In a device of the character described,

a movable conveyer for progressing groups of signatures and provided with apertures, a pusher member mounted on said conveyer and engaging the rear edges of the signatures, said member being composed of a spirally wound wire and being screwed into said apertures.

In testimony whereof I have signed this JOSEPH SPROUL. 

